Try: Try looking for these symptoms to tell if cr has a problem with drugs or alcohol observe cr physically for example look to see if cr has bloodshot dull looking eyes and dark under eye circles cr may alson look fragile and often is uncoordinated look to see if cr has brittle looking nails cr may also constantly clench his her teeth cr may also wear long sleeved clothing to hide needle marks or scratch marks try to observe discoloration in cr’s teeth as well people who abuse drug and alcohol intake have yellow teeth you may also want to check their breath people who abuse alcohol intake have lingering alcohol breath drug and alcohol abusers also sweat a lot they sweat more than the average male check if cr has sweaty palms and forehead this would indicate that cr is abusing drugs and or alcohol observe cr’s behavior check whether cr has trouble looking directly in your eyes observe whether cr is very fidgety for example look to see if cr cannot sit still for more than five minutes or if cr plays with his her hands or stands up observe cr’s demeanor for example does cr seem depressed cr may also not like talking about his her feelings is cr sulking a lot in a corner cr may also become very sensitive and easily get mad or depressed check for sudden changes in cr’s attitude cr may also act very high strung for example cr may demand that things are done his herr way cr may also have asked for money from his her friends if you notice cr asking for money quite frequently ask cr about it if it is not a serious matter cr will tell you bluntly why he she borrowed money from someone observe the way cr talks for example does cr have slurred speech does cr stutter often observe cr’s health cr may pretend to be sick to avoid going out of the room cr may also have frequent stomach problems check if cr vomits often cr may also eat more than usual check if cr’s diet has changed drastically cr may also frequently complain about headaches because drugs and alcohol dehydrate a person causing migraines if you suspect crhas a drug or alcohol problem try to confront him her it is important to tell him her about the negative outcomes of using drugs and alcohol it is important to persuade cr to seek a support group that focuses on drugs or alcohol abuse issues it may help cr to talk to others who are battling the same addiction medical attention you could also ask cr if he she would like you to go with him her to the first few group meetings so that cr feels less scared

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social

Information: n/a

References: how to spot symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse by linda hightower no date available at www howtodothings com

Keywords: Drinking problem drug abuse drug addiction alcohol abuse alcoholic

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Encourage cr to admit that he or she is a compulsive eater as with any problem the first step is to admit there is something that needs to be changed encourage cr to take an honest look at him or herself and admit to a dysfunctional relationship with food encourage cr to accept and admit that he or she is using food other than to satisfy physical hunger this is the most difficult step to do because many people live in denial encourage cr to seek support from family and friends encourage the cr to be upfront with family and friends about his or her desire to fix this problem however if other members of cr’s family are also binge eaters then cr may not get the support needed suggest that cr consider whether other sources of help should be sought out for example the cr may want to consider group therapy sessions or friends supportive family and friends may help motivate the cr to change the way that he or she lives encourage the cr to stop using food as a crutch encourage the cr to start treating food as something that the body needs for nourishment remind the cr that food is not meant as a replacement for other things missing in life suggest that the cr avoid grabbing a donut or head out to the vending machine when feeling stressed remind the cr that food should only be put in the mouth when he or she is really hungry encourage the cr to acknowledge his or her feelings and emotions encourage cr to avoid hiding or denying his or her emotions if the cr is angry encourage him or her to not stuff a hamburger into the mouth when cr is sad encourage him or her not to use a tub of ice cream for comfort help the cr learn to isolate the feelings or emotions so that they can be dealt with once the emotions are identified and acknowledged by the cr ways to work through it can be developed and implemented encourage the cr to start other productive activities to replace compulsive eating help cr understand that his or her mindset needs to be switched from always thinking about food to other things encourage the cr to cultivate non-food related hobbies suggest that cr go out and make friends join a club organization church or volunteer group

Materials: n/a

Categories: Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from www howtodothings com how to stop binge eating or compulsive overeating by jessica turner no date

Keywords: Overeats food obsession compulsive eater eats too much food addiction

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Allow for cool-down time if cr suddenly finds him herself incredibly sad unusually angry or even unexplainably happy cr may be eager to communicate these emotions immediately however doing so is likely unwise to ensure that cr can communicate his her emotions effectively suggest that cr give him herself some time to cool down so his her heightened emotions don’t cause him her to do something he she will later regret suggest that cr try to organize his her thoughts before cr can communicate his her emotions cr must understand them suggest that cr help him herself organize his her thoughts and think meta-cognitively by journaling about his her current thoughts and feelings cr could try writing in a journal or on a sheet of paper about the emotion he she is feeling and try to determine exactly why he she is feeling it if cr is feeling a negative emotion suggest that he she try to determine what needs to be done so he she stop feeling the way he she feels suggest that cr compose i statements below his her journal entry write several statements that begin with i focusing on how he she feels or what caused him her to feel that way in each for example if cr is angry with his her spouse for making a major life change without consulting cr one of cr’s statements could be i feel like i wasn’t given a voice help cr select the appropriate time before cr decides to communicate his her emotions make sure the time is right select a private place and a large block of time to ensure that he she has a chance to fully explore the emotions instead of having to rush through his her emotion-sharing process for example if cr trieds to tell someone how he she feels in a crowded cafe when the other person has 5 minutes until they need to rush off to work likely isn’t a good idea while sharing these same emotions in cr’s private dining room as cr and the other person finish up dinner is a wise choice encourage cr to share his her feelings after carefully planning cr must let it all out trying to stay as levelheaded as possible express his her feelings using his her prepared i statements avoid allowing this catharsis to turn into a yelling match if cr finds him herself becoming angry suggest that cr pause and collect him herself if cr notices that his her partner is highly agitated suggest that cr encourage their partner to do the same taking a breather while both parties cool down encourage cr to listen to the other individual individual’s response cr is likely not the only person who is feeling potentially difficult-to-deal-with emotions as cr shares his her emotions suggest that cr allow his her partner to share too giving them the chance to respond to cr’s statements and tell cr how they view the situation and what emotions he she is currently feeling

Materials: Journal notebook and pen

Categories: Behavior Challenging, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social, Verbal Communication, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm

Information: From the telephone book look under support groups or nicotine anonymous

References: how to communicate your emotions by erin schreiner 2011 available at www ehow org

Keywords: Communications emotions hyper hyperactive chatty hurts others feelings depression anger depressed sad gloomy mental problems mental illness manic

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: However impatient you feel try to be reassuring avoid leaving important documents lying around and make sure you have a spare set of keys try and find out cr cr’s hiding places so that you can tactfully help find’missing items if cr hides food check hiding places regularly and discreetly dispose of any perishable items

Materials: Spare set of car keys

Categories: Sage, Topic, Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Cognitive Awareness, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Hides things hidden forgets memory loss forgetfulness forgot lost loses missing misplaces misplac

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Try to remember that cr is not being deliberately difficult; cr’s sense of reality may be very different to yours but very real to them cr’s cognitive condition can affect his her ability to use logic and reason so things that may seem obvious to you might appear to be very different for cr ask yourself whether the behavior is really a problem if the behavior is linked to a particular activity such as washing or dressing ask yourself if this task really needs to be done right now or if you could leave it for a while until cr has calmed down try to put yourself in cr cr’s situation imagine how cr might be feeling and what he she might be trying to express offer as much reassurance to cr as you can remember that all behavior is a means of communication if you can establish what cr is trying to communicate you will resolve the problem much more quickly try distracting cr with calming activities such as a hand massage stroking a pet a drive in the country or by playing cr’s favourite music try to make sure that you have support for yourself and breaks when you need them some people find unusual behaviors particularly a repetitive behaviour very irritating if you feel you can’t contain your irritation make an excuse to leave the room for a while if you find cr cr’s behavior really difficult to deal with ask for advice from professionals or other carers before you become too stressed try to determine whether cr’s odd behavior is due to medication side effects investigate drugs cr is taking and become familiar with these effects this can help you understand cope and accept unusual behaviors because you will know not to take inappropriate words or actions to heart remember that it is possible to be the cause of the behavior through a lack of understanding of what cr is trying to communicate try stepping away from the situation look at cr cr’s body language and try to understand what he she might be feeling at that time give cr space to calm down and offer reassurance

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Verbal Communication, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm, Cognitive Awareness, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Challenging behavior unusual odd irritating irritates inappropriate suscpicious

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: This behavior can be very difficult to cope with but try not to speak sharply if you are busy try giving cr something absorbing to do – perhaps distraction through a pet task or activity or you can hum or sing or put the radio on make sure you also find some time for yourself

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Cognitive Awareness, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Shadowing follows calls out lonely annoying boredom needy demanding demands

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Keep in mind that cr may feel lonely or distressed especially if his her short term memory is damaged for example cr may not remember that you are in the next room and believe he she is alone cr may feel anxious about his her failing memory bored or stressed by too much noise and bustle if cr shouts out at night try putting a nightlight in the bedroom to give cr some reassurance consider how the room looks in the dark are there shadows or shapes that cannot be seen when the light is on but that could be misinterpreted and look frightening in the dark if cr is calling for someone from his her past like a best friend try talking to cr about this period in his her life and respond to the feelings cr is showing avoid harsh facts that may cause distress for example if the person cr is asking for has died cr may not remember this fact and will feel he she is hearing it for the first time

Materials: Nightlight

Categories: Sage, Topic, Behavior Challenging, Cognitive Intellectual, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Maintenance, Medical Physical, Personal, Verbal Communication, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm, Cognitive Awareness, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Shouts shouting screams screaming yells yelling challenging behavior memory loss depressed depression anxiety fear frightened shadows hallucinations hallucinates delusions delusional

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Try to react to the situation in a calm manner if the cr is undressing in public try taking cr somewhere private and check whether he or she is too hot or is uncomfortable or wants to use the toilet if the cr is stroking or exposing genitals in public or engaged in other inappropriate sexual behavior try to discourage cr tactfully and try to distract his her attention if the cr lifts skirt or fiddles with zipper fly try asking cr if he she needs to go to the bathroom if the cr behaves rudely for example by insulting people or swearing or spitting avoid attempting to argue or correct the behavior try to distract cr’s attention and explain to other people later that cr’s behavior is due to a mental illness or cognitive impairment and is not directed at them personally

Materials: n/a

Categories: Behavior Challenging, Social, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Inappropriate lifts skirt embarrassing embarrases public behavior sexual rude rudeness insults insulting strokes genitiles exposes genitiles undresses undress

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Try making the action a topic of conversation like reminiscing over a favorite vacation trip or favorite place that cr loved visiting touring cr may also be doing these repetitive actions because he she is bored or needs wants more contact with people you might try asking cr if he she would like to go out and do something like see a movie or walk the mall

Materials: n/a

Categories: Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Cognitive Awareness, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Repeats repetitive body movements phrases boredom pacing anxious communication

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Try geting a phone with a number recognition display or an answering machine so you can decide whether you want to answer the phone try switching mobiles and ringers off at night you may feel guilty about not answering every call but it it’s important to look after yourself and get some rest try putting yourself in cr’s place for example repeated phone calls may indicate that cr forgot that he she already called or cr may be feeling insecure or anxious

Materials: Phone with caller id answering machine

Categories: Behavior Challenging, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Cognitive Awareness, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware, Unaware, Long-Term Memory, So-So L T Memory, Poor L T Memory, Short-Term Memory, So-So S T Memory, Poor S T Memory

Information: n/a

References: unusual behaviourby janet keane 2010 available at www alzheimers org uk

Keywords: Phone telephone calls insecure anxious forgets forgot memory loss

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed